


Black Calico Cats

by anime_demigod



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward, Barista AU, Cat Cafe, Colorblind kenma, Cute, Depression, Fluff, KuroKen - Freeform, M/M, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, Sweet, bokuaka and kagehina were supposed to appear but seemed too forced, but its not, coffee AU, i came back to this and I think it’s too perfect to add anything to it, it seems a bit dark, kiyoyachi is adorable, seriously, theyre all gay, utter fluff, worried Yachi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-07 08:57:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7708873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anime_demigod/pseuds/anime_demigod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma is down with depression and never wants to do anything and because of that, he is also colorblind. He finds a new cat cafe that has just opened and meets new people who change his life quite drastically, for better or for worse.</p><p>*this work is currently discontinued! Sorry!*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys this is my first fan fiction so I'm extremely sorry if something was unclear or didn't make sense to you yet because I've not properly done fan fiction like this before. Kuroken is my fave ship in haikyuu so I came up with this story in my head at 3:00 in the morning cuz I couldn't go back to sleep....

Kenma woke up to another depressing day in a world of gray.

He sighed. He really did not want to get up that day. He just wanted to stay in bed for the rest of his life. His stomach growled, but his appetite was no where to be seen. He closed his eyes, ignored the time of day and his hungry stomach, and tried to go back to sleep. 

But Kenma just couldn't go back to sleep for some reason. Eventually his phone buzzed with an incoming text from his mom.

"Another great day! Sunny and warm, a good day for you to get out of the house," it said. 

Kenma groaned internally, knowing that if he didn't respond or agree to her proposal, she would personally drive herself to his apartment and physically drag him outside. He replied with "Ok, I need to get groceries today anyway."

He lied. Kenma had a whole fridge full of food and leftovers that sickened him to eat. He would maybe get another loaf of bread, since the previous, almost untouched one was getting moldy. 

Kenma slid out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen. Yep, the bread was moldy. He reluctantly shoved one leftover muffin from the fridge into his mouth, without even reheating it, and got dressed.

The muffin felt like lead in his stomach, and he hoped that he could keep it down throughout the rest of the day. 

Kenma slowly descended the stairs outside of his apartment and exited the building. He walked to the bus stop and and took the bus to downtown. Then he got some bread and proceeded to walk back to the bus stop.

However...

A prim little cat cafe had opened near the bus stop. Slightly intrigued for the first time in a while, Kenma entered the cafe. A little bell rang when he stepped in. Kenma immediately started towards the nearest kitten and pet it, completely ignoring the waitress who tried to greet him.

His day suddenly got better. Cats were the best, he thought.

"Do you like cats, sir?" 

Kenma looked up to see a kind-looking, patient woman with black hair and glasses looking back at him.

"Um... Yeah." His voice was rusty after not using it for days. 

"You might like that brown one over there. He's really nice to everyone," she suggested."  
"....which...one?"

"Uh, the brown one, in the back." She pointed further in the cafe.

"Thanks." Kenma squinted, trying to figure out which one was brown. To him, everything was shades of gray. He walked towards a large furry cat that was lounging in the window. 

"This one?"

"Yes," she said with a small smile. She walked over to him and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. If you need anything, look for me, okay?"

"...kay."

She nodded and returned to her post, leaving Kenma with the furry cat.

It was only a few minutes until the bell signaling customers rang. A broad man made his way into the cafe. His jet black hair was spiked and gelled over one side of his face. It was like an awful cowlick. 

"Hey, Manager! I showed up!" He proclaimed suddenly while edging behind the counter and grabbing an apron.

"About time, Tetsurou," Kiyoko said with a sigh. "I thought you'd never wake up and get down here."

The man grinned. "Be glad I even came, Manager," he said wryly. A silent, momentary look was shared between the two, a sudden, serious second of time that Kenma, who was watching the conversation discreetly, didn't understand. The man, right before turning to his work, seemed to notice Kenma and caught his eye. A small smile broke on his face and Kenma quickly turned away, seemingly very interested in the fluffy cat purring in front of him.

***

"Tetsurou." 

The whisper pulled Kuroo out of his bored daze. He looked over at Kiyoko, who had called him, then at the time, which read "14:06."

"What is it Manager? Do I get a break already?" He started to joke until he saw Kiyoko's concerned face.

"What's wrong?" 

She pursed her lips, then sighed. "That boy over there," she nodded towards where the blonde person sat, petting an orange cat, "I'm worried about him." 

Kuroo frowned. "Why?"

"He's been here for an hour and a half now, and he hasn't ordered anything. He's just been petting pretty much every cat we have here."

"Maybe he just really likes cats?" It was a lame excuse, even for Kuroo.

Kiyoko shook her head. "Also, I think he's color blind somehow. He couldn't tell which cat was the brown one. And he looked pretty lost when he came in."

"What do you want me to do about it?" He asked.

"Well, you were in the same shoes as him... And you could understand him better than me. Please, just try, okay?"

Kuroo said nothing. 

"Okay?"

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Okay."


	2. Ginger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this one is slightly longer than the first one. I realized that my chapters are kinda short, so I guess there will be a lot of them.

"Hey."

Kenma looked up to see the man from before watching him.

"Are you... Talking to me?" His voice was barely even heard.

Luckily the man understood him. He smiled, "Yeah." He looked at the cat in Kenma's lap, then the one lounging behind his head, and then the one sitting on his feet. He laughed, "I guess cats really like you, huh?" Slightly embarrassed, Kenma nodded. The man awkwardly stood there for a second. 

"Can I sit here?" He asked, gesturing to the booth across where Kenma sat. Confused, Kenma nodded again. The man obliged, scooting into the booth and delicately moving the little kitten that was originally seated there to the window. Kenma watched him slowly extend his hand over their table for the cat in Kenma's lap to smell. The cat let him scratch its head before it laid back down. 

"These cats don't really have names because most of them are from the street and they're adoptable," the man started, "but I like to give them temporary names. Like that one in your lap is called Ginger." 

"Why did you name it Ginger?" Kenma asked.

The man frowned slightly. "Uh, I guess because it's orange." 

"So it's orange..." Kenma mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." 

There was a moment of quiet while both boys tried to figure out what to say next. 

"Oh! How could I forget," the man slapped his forehead. He held his hand out. "I'm Kuroo Tetsurou. What's your name?"

"... Kozume Kenma."

"It's nice to meet you Kozume-san—"

"Just Kenma is fine."

"Oh then, Kenma, please call me Kuroo."

"Kuroo..."

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. I was just trying it out."

Kuroo grinned, which brought out a tiny, hesitant half-smile from Kenma. "So, do you have any cats?" Kuroo asked.

"No. I don't have any pets."

"Do you live in an apartment that doesn't allow pets?"

"...I don't think so." 

"Where do you live?"

Kenma was taken aback. "Um... I won't answer that."

Kuroo seemed to realize what he just said. His face turned pink. "Uh, I uh, didn't mean to pry that much. Sorry."

Another awkward silence stretched between them. After a while, Kenma mumbled something.

"What was that?" Kuroo asked.

"I live a bit outside the city. The apartment building next to the bus stop. Down that way." Kenma pointed out the window.

"You didn't have to answer me that, you know." 

"I don't know. I wanted to."

The two of them made small talk until Kiyoko warned that Kuroo would lose his job if He didn't return to his post. It was late afternoon when Kenma left the cafe, a little bit happier than he had been for a while. Kuroo waved to him from behind the counter, making Kenma hesitate, then make a small wave back before he went through the door.

***

"Good job," remarked Kiyoko as Kuroo closed up the cafe. 

Kuroo rolled his eyes. "I just talked to him."

"But he left here looking five times happier than when he came in."

"Manager, like I said, I just talked to him."

"But you understood him. You helped him."

"Sure."

"Tetsurou, I'm serious. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Manager."

Kiyoko smiled. Kuroo returned his attention to the table he was cleaning. It was the table that Kenma sat at. He sprayed the table and wiped it down, noticing a lump in the corner of the booth. He leaned over and upon closer inspection, saw that it was a plastic bag from the supermarket. Inside of it was a loaf of bread. 

"What is it?" Kiyoko asked, peering over Kuroo's shoulder.

"Bread from the store. He must have forgotten it."

"Well maybe you should deliver it to him."

Kuroo was appalled. "Manager, it's like, 18:00."

"So? He needs his bread," she teased.

"You're just looking for another reason for me to see him again, aren't you."

"Maybe" was her only remark.

"I barely even know where he lives."

"Oh? So you're saying you do have some idea of where he lives? Where'd you even get the guts to find that out?" 

"Shut up."

"Tell me where you think it is."

Kuroo told her the directions that Kenma told him. Kiyoko raised her eyebrows. 

"Oh? I know that apartment building." She explained where it was and how to get there.

"Now go deliver that bread, Tetsurou." 

Kuroo sighed. Despite his reluctance—and the complete absurdity of having to drop off bread to a person you just met—Kuroo was slightly intrigued.

"Okay, I'm off," he declared, stepping through the door. Kiyoko shooed him out, stopping to give him a hopeful smile.

"I like that boy. I want to see him around here again. So make that happen, okay?"

"Mmkay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this. Please continue to wait for the next chapters if you liked this.


	3. Nekoma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think now that the summer is nearly over, I will post chapters weekly after this one. But I hope that with the long wait will come longer chapters, like this one.

The doorbell to Kenma's apartment buzzed.

Kenma frowned. He didn't think he had any company to entertain. His mother definitely wasn't close enough to surprise visit him. He slid off the couch and shuffled to the door. He looked through the peephole to see slightly ruffled, spiked black hair and a smirking face. He unlocked and opened the door.

"Kuroo, what are you doing here?" 

"Surprised?" Kuroo grinned, holding up a plastic bag. "You forgot your bread. Manager wanted me to return it." 

"You didn't have to. I didn't really need bread that much."

"I wanted to."

"..."

Kuroo raised his eyebrows at Kenma's silent question. "What do you want to ask me?"

"... How did you find out where I lived? I gave you vague instructions."

"Heh, well I asked Manager and she knew which apartment building you were talking about, then I just asked the people around here where Kozume Kenma lived. I said I was a friend when they asked why I needed you."

"Oh." Realizing his impoliteness, Kenma stepped aside. "Please come in."

It was Kuroo's turn to be surprised. "Oh no," he said quickly, shaking his head, "That's not necessary."

"I... Insist."

Kuroo looked a little too happy for someone who didn't want to be invited into a near stranger's apartment.

He stepped in and took off his shoes. Kenma closed the door, turned the lock and led Kuroo to his kitchen.

"Excuse the mess," Kenma started, realizing how much stuff was on the floor. 

Kuroo snorted. "This is nothing compared to my place." 

Kenma gestured at the island. "You can sit here. I'll make tea or something."

"I thought was going to interrupt your dinner or something," Kuroo commented, noticing the bare kitchen. "Guess I was wrong." He looked over at Kenma, who was reaching for teabags from a cupboard. "Do you like green tea?" was all he said.

"Yeah sure, green tea's fine." 

"If you want, I can make dinner for you."

"Eh? Uh no!" Kuroo waved his hands in front of him. "You really don't have to go that far!" 

Kenma was dead serious. "It's okay. I have a lot of food and I haven't made any dinner yet. What do you like?"

"You're really going to do this?"

"Yes."

Kuroo's shoulders slumped. "Fine."

"What do you like?" Kenma repeated.

"Mackerel pike... Grilled and salted. That's my favorite, but I think it's pretty hard to make."

".... I don't think I can make that."

Kuroo laughed. "I didn't think so. Noodles are fine, I guess."

"I have chicken noodles here." Kenma pulled out a bag of instant ramen. He paused, then pulled out another one. He rummaged around for a pot, filled it with water, and set it on the stove. 

After a hesitant moment, while Kenma watched the water boil, Kuroo asked, "Are we having tea with the ramen?" Kenma's eyes widened slightly, and he turned his head to look at the untouched tea bags on the counter. 

"I'm pretty sure we wouldn't want to have green tea with chicken ramen," he stated. Kuroo shook his head in agreement. "Maybe after," he suggested. Kenma finished the ramen and poured it into two separate bowls.

"We can eat here," Kenma offered, setting the bowls on the dining room table. Kuroo obliged and sat across from him.

"I like the patterns on these bowls," Kuroo commented. Kenma looked at the side of his bowl. 

"Yeah," he said, "I think they're a matching set. I got it from a relative for Christmas when I first moved in."

"Really? The pattern's the same but they're different colors."

"Are they?"

Kuroo frowned. "Uh, yeah. This one," he gestured to his own bowl, "is reddish purple, and that one," he pointed at Kenma's, "is bluish green."

"I never noticed."

Kuroo squinted at Kenma. "Reeeaaally?"

Kenma squirmed a bit under Kuroo's gaze. "Yep."

"Then what color is my hair?"

"Black... I think."

"... Correct. But you didn't know for sure." Kuroo looked around. He got up and held out an apple from the basket on the island counter. 

"How about... This apple?"

"Red?"

"Nope! It's green." Kuroo's eyebrows furrowed. "So you're really color blind?"

Kenma looked away. After a second, he nodded silently. Kuroo looked once at Kenma's slightly defeated form, put the apple back, and sat back down. Right before he tried to apologize and change the subject, Kenma interjected.

"I wasn't always colorblind," he said quietly.

"Oh?" Kuroo sat attentively.

Kenma paused. "It was about a year ago. It wasn't abrupt or anything, just one day I woke up to see that I couldn't tell red from orange," he started.

"Soon I couldn't see anything yellow or green. Then blue and purple. Slowly, my vision was like it was being bleached out. It was a few months after I moved into this apartment. You're one of the few who actually know about this now."

Kuroo had a stunned expression on his face. "Wh-what did you do then?" He asked tentatively.

Kenma watched him, then continued, "I don't know, I think I just kept going on as I always did, but I lost my job, for some reason..."

"Wait you're unemployed?!"

Kenma pressed his lips together, "Yes, I don't really remember when or why, though."

"W-w-wait! Wait a second." Kuroo whipped out his phone from his pocket. He swiped the screen a few times, then held it up to his ear.

"Kuroo? What are you—"

"Ssh!" Kuroo waved his free hand towards Kenma. Kenma immediately shut up with a slight surprised expression.

"Manager?—yeah—hey, uh are you still there?—okay. Bye." Kuroo pocketed his phone and looked back at Kenma. Kenma frowned.

"Who did you just call—"

"Never mind that, just come with me, okay?" Kuroo didn't even wait for Kenma's reply, he just grabbed his hand and dragged him to the front door. 

"Kuroo, we still have to eat," Kenma protested.

"That's fine," Kuroo said. He slid on his shoes and waited for Kenma to put on his, almost jumping up and down in impatience. 

When Kenma got his shoes on and properly locked his apartment, Kuroo pulled him out of the building and to the bus stop. They took the bus back into the city and stepped in front of the cat cafe.

"Kuroo, you can't seriously be thinking—"

"Let's go!" Kuroo said excitedly. He took Kenma's hand again and took him into the cafe. 

All was dark except for the back room where Kiyoko was finishing up. She looked up expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Manager, we have a new applicant for the job," Kuroo announced enthusiastically.

"Oh? We do need more help," she remarked.

"Are we really doing this?" Kenma cut in. Both persons stopped to look back at him, one with excitement and one with serenity.

"If you want to," Kiyoko said gently.

Kenma thought about his current position: boring, dull, and on the verge of being broke despite the occasional deposits by his mother. He looked at both faces and took a deep breath. 

"I guess," he murmured.

Kuroo's grin stretched even further across his face, and he turned back to Kiyoko. Kiyoko only nodded and took out a few papers from a drawer. 

"You do have to pass a simple test," Kiyoko said.

Both Kuroo and Kenma raised their eyebrows. "Test? There was a test?" Kuroo inquired. Kenma pressed his lips in anticipation.

"What is the name of this cafe?" Kiyoko asked.

Kenma inhaled sharply.

"That's easy right?" Kuroo turned to Kenma, "Right?" He noticed Kenma's stumped expression. "Kenma?" Then it dawned on him.

"You don't know?!" Kuroo said incredulously. 

"I-I never looked," Kenma admitted meekly.

Kiyoko shook her head in mock disappointment. "I guess you fail the test, and cannot be hired here."

Kenma's shoulders slumped, while Kuroo opened his mouth to protest.

"Ah," Kiyoko held up a finger to stop Kuroo. "However, you can retake the test anytime," she said with a smile.

Kenma was confused. "Wait," he said, "can I really just retake this?" Kiyoko nodded. Kenma made eye contact with Kuroo. Kuroo had a stupid surprised happy face on. It almost made Kenma laugh. Kenma shook his head and walked as fast as he could to the front of the shop. He stepped outside, glanced at the sign above the doors, and bolted back to Kiyoko.

"Are you ready to retake the test?" Kiyoko asked with a little laugh.

"Yes," Kenma uttered breathlessly. He felt more excited for this, for some reason.

"Then, what is the name of this cafe?"

Kenma broke into a small smile.

"Nekoma."

Kiyoko smiled widely. 

"You're hired."


	4. Yachi Hitoka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I suck at updating.
> 
> ...
> 
> Thanks for all the hits and kudos! I really appreciate your support.
> 
> ...
> 
> In other news, Yachi's here! I was really excited to bring her in and I hope you guys will love her as much as I do.

Chapter 4:

"Agh! that was the last bus!" Kuroo cursed.

Kenma watched the taillights fade away as the bus cruised down the street, away from them.

"What do we do now?" Kuroo muttered.

Kiyoko stuck her head out from the cafe door. "Do you need a ride back?" She asked.

Sheepishly, Kenma and Kuroo nodded their heads as they made their way back. Kiyoko sighed.

"You two are hopeless," she said under her breath. Louder, she added, "Once I close up completely here, I can take you home. I know where Tetsurou lives, but I'll need help with you, Kenma."

Kenma noticed that Kiyoko already was used to saying his first name. He nodded and followed Kiyoko to a small, prim, black car. It's just like her to own a car like that, Kenma thought.

***

A while later, Kenma was back in his apartment, staring at the now-cold bowls of ramen sitting on the table. His appetite still hadn't returned. He wondered if he would have eaten the ramen when Kuroo was there. He couldn't remember what colors Kuroo said the bowls were. 

He remembered how cheerful Kuroo was when he said good night. "See you tomorrow!" He had yelled from the backseat of the car.

"Be at the cafe by 6:00. Kuroo never sets his clock, so he always comes in around 11:00. I want you to make up for his lateness by coming on time, please," informed Kiyoko before she drove away.

Kenma looked at the clock. It read "20:07." He sighed, dumped the untouched food in the garbage, and shuffled to his room. There he set his clock to 5:00, turned off the lights, and fell in bed.

He slept fitfully that night.

***

"I like your hair."

The man was taken aback by her sudden outburst. He stopped for a moment to pull at a strand of his own ear length, blonde hair.

"Thanks," he muttered, "I've been growing it out though."

Awkward silence stretched between them as they both tried to work.

"U-um, my name is Yachi Hitoka," she started.

"Kozume Kenma. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, then Kozume-san—"

"Just Kenma."

"K-Kenma-san. Isn't autumn a really nice time of year?" Yachi tried to start up a conversation. 

Kenma stayed quiet. After hesitating, he said quietly, "I guess." He looked away, adjusting his black apron. Business was slow that time of day.

"U-um. I like it because you can wear cute and cozy sweaters, dress up for Halloween... A-and... Um, eat a lot for Thanksgiving!"

"That's nice," was all he said in return.

Yachi searched for more things to talk about. It was just the two of them at the counter. Kiyoko was in the back and Kuroo hadn't arrived yet. Soon, she gave up.

"U-uh, can you manage here for a few minutes?" She asked. Kenma glanced at the register he was standing in front of, and gave her a slight nod. She gave him a quick smile and scooted out of the area and into the back room. Kiyoko was looking through the bills and doing all the things managers do. She looked up when Yachi approached.

"Yachi-chan. What's the matter?"

Yachi pressed her lips together. "I'm nervous," she admitted.

Kiyoko frowned. "Why?"

"The new person, he's, like, unable to keep up a conversation. I don't know what to do when there's no customers right now. It's slow."

Kiyoko smiled. "Just keep doing what you're doing," she advised. "When you talk, you usually help the room stay optimistic. When he can't figure out how to converse with you, just find another thing to talk about. I think he's one of those people who like to listen to what others say, okay?"

Yachi smiled back at her. "Okay," she replied. 

The bell rang signaling customers, which made Yachi jump. "I'd better get back to help Kenma-san," she said quickly, dismissing herself. Kiyoko let her go and returned to her paperwork.

When Yachi came back to the front, she saw Kenma watching as Kuroo shuffled into the cafe. Kuroo looked up and made eye contact with Kenma. A smile stretched across his face that Yachi hadn't really seen before.

" 'ello," he greeted.

"Welcome to Nekoma Cat Cafe," Kenma recited under his breath. Kuroo's smile grew even wider. "Hah?" He asked, making Kenma's face redden. "Welcome to Nekoma Cat Cafe," he said, louder.

Yachi moved from her spot by the back door to the other side of Kenma. "Kuroo-san," she said, "You're, horribly late, as always." Kuroo smirked. "As always?"

"Y-yep." Kuroo seemed to always intimidate Yachi, even though she knew it was stupid. He was like a prowling cat.

Kuroo rounded the corner of the counter and slid in. He threw his bag that he was carrying next to the back door and grabbed an apron from a rack. He slid it on and turned back to the counter.

"Woah, Yachi-chan!" Kuroo exclaimed. "Those leggings! Awesome!"

Yachi shyly looked down at her kitty-eared thigh high leggings. "T-thanks."

"They're, like, perfect for the job," he continued, which made Kenma stop to observe them as well. Yachi blushed. "Too bad nobody can really see them from back here, when you're working," Kuroo said regretfully. 

"Maybe when I go to feed the cats," Yachi offered.

"—Which, will be Kuroo's job," cut in Kiyoko, from the back door.

"Aw, manager, I wanna see Yachi do it—"

"No buts, Tetsurou." Kiyoko pointed to the cat corner. 

"I would say that would be a fun job right now," Kenma added. 

Kuroo looked appalled at Kenma's addition. "Why do you think that?"

Kenma shrugged. "You can pet all the cats," he offered.

Kuroo laughed. "I don't really have time to let all the cats while I'm on the job. I have to feed them, refresh all the water bowls, and the worst: clean all the litter boxes!"

Kenma made a thoughtful expression. "I guess, but it's not as bad as you believe, I think."

Kuroo rolled his eyes playfully, then noticed Kiyoko's raised eyebrows. He put up his hands. "Ok, whatever you say. I'm going to actually start my job now." Kiyoko made a disapproving noise as she returned to the back room. Kuroo smirked, then made his way to the cat corner.

"H-he says that, but we're the ones who've been working since 6," Yachi claimed. Kenma looked at her, broke into a small smile, and turned back to the register awkwardly.

That's the first time I've seen him smile, Yachi thought.

***

"Okay, we're closing up now," Kiyoko announced.

Kuroo glanced up at the clock in the cat corner. It read 18:02. 

He grabbed the plastic bags full of cat excretions and litter and made way to the garbage in the back alley behind the cafe. When he washed his hands and returned, he heard Yachi talking to Kiyoko at the counter. 

"Kiyoko-san, we should celebrate," she said suddenly.

Kiyoko was slightly taken aback. "What's so great that it's worth celebrating?" She wondered.

Yachi's face went pink. "W-well, um, Kenma's employment here." That caught Kenma's attention. 

"Uh, you don't have to do that," he told her. Yachi grinned. "Oh come on," she chided, "can we please at least have a coffee? We do work at a cafe."

"It's almost dinner time, though," cut in Kuroo as he walked in. 

Yachi's face pinked even more. "Uh—"

"That's fine, Yachi. We can do that now, just for a little bit," offered Kiyoko, giving Kuroo a dirty look. Kuroo smirked back at her. "Although we'll have to make Kenma's for him because he doesn't know how to yet."

"He just works the register," Kuroo added. "Which I think is a pretty forward job for someone like him." Kuroo looked at Kenma, who ignored him, still silently protesting the idea of a celebration for him.

"It's fine, Kenma. Just think of it as an excuse for Yachi to have free coffee," Kuroo joked. 

"Hey—!" 

"Alright, alright. Just make your own coffees, okay? But make them all smalls. It's already bad enough you're getting this for free," Kiyoko mentioned. Then she turned to Kenma and more kindly said, "If you want, I can teach you how to make coffee and tea and Yachi can take over the register."

"I'm fine, it's not a horrible job," Kenma started.

"But you'd rather be back here, right?" Kuroo cut in. Kenma stared at him, then at Kiyoko, who wore the same knowing expression as Kuroo. He hung his head. "Yes," he admitted. Kiyoko smiled warmly, then started coaching Kenma on the different machines, cups, containers, etc. 

Kuroo watched them for a bit, then went back to the cat corner to pick up a black cat. The short-haired cat had a sort of tuft on its head from another cats tongue. He snickered at the look for a second and turned around to face the other three people.

"Hey, hey, hey~" he giggled. The three looked up at him. "Look at this silly cat." Yachi snuffed a laugh and responded, "it actually looks a lot like you!"

"Eh?!" 

"Yeah," Kenma agreed, "The same hairstyle and everything." 

"How mean!" Kuroo pouted, "my hair's naturally like this for some reason!" 

"Really?" Yachi was mystified. "How does a bed head look like that?!" 

"I don't know!"

"Buah~ ha~" 

Both Yachi and Kuroo swung their heads at the source of the sound. They saw Kenma laughing softly and abruptly. When he noticed their attention, he immediately stopped and blushed.

"S-sorry."

Kuroo grinned from ear to ear. "It's nothing, Kenma. Now I want my coffee, so please finish up back there." Kuroo saw that Kenma was glad for the subject change. He scooted out from behind the counter, followed along by Kiyoko, who had two mugs of black tea in her hands. 

"Kenma, you didn't get anything," she noticed. Kenma paused. "I don't really want anything," he muttered, staring at the tea in her hands. 

"No, I can see you do," Kiyoko said, pushing one of the mugs into Kenma's hands. After a moment's hesitation, he accepted it.

"Come on," Kuroo complained. Kiyoko sighed, moving out of the way for Kuroo. He urgently slid behind the counter and loaded himself with a dark chocolate cappuccino. Yachi followed suit with a caramel frappe

The four of them took a booth near the cat corner, letting some of the cats jump up on their laps.

"That one looks like you," Kuroo said to Kenma, pointing at the cat behind Kenma's head. It was a yellowish brown calico and it didn't want to move, even when the other cats jumped up on it.

"You think so?" Kenma mumbled. After some thought, Yachi nodded in consent. "That one will be called Kenma #2," she announced.

"You don't need to do that," Kenma said softly. Yachi tilted her head like a dog. "But I want to," she justified. Kiyoko laughed lightly. The conversation went on, with Kuroo and Yachi talking animatedly while Kenma and Kiyoko listened and gave few comments.

When the sun was fully set and stars started to peek out, Kiyoko ordered them to clean up. Kenma and Yachi filled the cat bowls while Kuroo and Kiyoko cleaned the tables and counters.

"Hey, can I braid your hair before you leave?" Yachi asked suddenly.

"Eh?" Kenma pulled on a strand of his hair. "I don't think it's long enough...."

"No, no, no, no. I think French braiding it will be fine. I wanna try," she pleaded. 

Kenma silently contemplated. "I guess.... You can try...." He mumbled after a while. 

"Yay!" She jumped up and down then pulled Kenma to a chair.

"Sit here," she demanded, then immediately started pulling strands and tucking them in various places. After a while, she called for Kiyoko, asking for a hair tie. Luckily, Kiyoko had one, and she lent it to tie the ends. Kuroo came around and the three of them awed at Yachi's work.

"That looks awesome," Kuroo commented. 

"Really?" Yachi and Kenma said simultaneously, in two different tones. 

"Yeah." 

The three admired a little more before Kiyoko shooed them out of the cafe. She pushed them out the front door and pulled a set of keys from her pocket. Locking the door and jiggling the handle to make sure, she turned and waved to the two boys.

"Have a nice night!" Yelled Yachi as Kenma and Kuroo made their way to the bus. 

"Bye!" Kuroo yelled back. He sauntered to the corner of the block, Kenma slinking behind him. The bus pulled up around when the sun set, and the two stepped on. After a while, Kenma reached his stop and started to shuffle off when Kuroo grabbed his shirt.

"Have a good night, 'kay?" He said. Kenma gave him a silent nod and proceeded off of the bus. Kuroo smiled, watching his slouched form recede from the window.

He noticed that Kenma's shoulders were a little more square and confident then before. Just a little.


	5. A Forbidden Kiss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story kinda got away from me...
> 
> After my English classes I realized that my diction sucked so I tried to improve it~

Kenma didn't notice how many times the doorbell buzzed before the excessive knocking pulled him out of his stupor.

He slumped out of his comfy bed and shuffled to the front door of his apartment, too groggy to check the peephole to see who it was. He unlocked the door and swung it open.

On the other side of the frame was a breathless, worried Kuroo. Kenma frowned.

"Is something wrong?" He inquired.

Kuroo huffed. "Do you know how many times I called you?" He returned Kenma's question with one of his own.

Kenma glanced behind him at his untouched phone on the kitchen counter.

"I―"

"Eleven times!" Kuroo answered without preamble. "Eleven!" He stepped into Kenma's apartment, stopping only to take off his shoes, and stomped into the kitchen. He grabbed Kenma's phone and almost shoved it in his face. Kenma gingerly took his phone and swiped through the screen. Sure enough, eleven missed calls blinked back at him. Kenma pursed his lips. He tried to make an excuse.

"I wasn't used to your, number," he tried, remembering the day before Yachi offering to switch phone numbers. Kenma had gotten the phone numbers of Kiyoko, Kuroo, and Yachi, but had neglected to match their names to their numbers. 

Kuroo raised his eyebrows at him. He plucked the phone out of Kenma's hand and proceeded to add his name to Kenma's contacts. Kenma just stood there and watched Kuroo. 

"There," he finalized, pushing the phone back into Kenma's hands. "Now, why didn't you answer them?" He asked again, more calmly. The crease hadn't disappeared from his forehead. Kenma stared at the floor. 

"I didn't hear it," he said truthfully. He gestured to the silenced phone and tugged on Kuroo's shirt, urging him to follow Kenma. He showed Kuroo his messy, recently used bed and the video games and headphones strewn across the sheets.

Kuroo sighed, accepting Kenma's testimony. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep your phone close by and have the ringer on when your at home, at least." Kuroo objected. Kenma nodded. Kuroo sighed again, the line in his face disappearing. He shivered.

"Why is it so cold in here?" He noticed.

Kenma grimaced. "The apartment building is fixing the heat right now. There was a notice.... Somewhere..." Kenma aimlessly rummaged around his kitchen and the recycle bin. "I don't know what I did with it," he said meekly. Kuroo huffed, inspecting Kenma's attire.

"That's too light for however cold it is in here," he remarked, seeing Kenma's t shirt and sweatpants. 

"Kuroo, it's only the middle of October, and I was under the covers until you pulled me out."

"But still." 

"..."

Kuroo raised his eyebrows at Kenma's silent question.

"What did you even call me for?" 

Kuroo's cheeks pinked slightly. "I―I was just wondering what you were doing," he answered quickly. His awkward response in turn made Kenma redden, too.

"And you rushed over when I didn't answer?"

"Don't say it like that, I called you this morning, then around noon, and when you didn't answer I called again, and again..."

Kenma's teeth showed in a slight smile. "Thanks, I guess. For worrying. It's been a while since anybody's done that," Kenma admitted.

Kuroo smiled back. "My pleasure."

A deep silence stretched between them as both figured out what to do next.

"Do you... Wanna play video games?" Kenma offered. Kuroo made an expression of surprise. "S―sure," he responded.

The two boys settled on the couch, under some blankets, in Kenma's tiny living room. Kenma inserted a game in his console and nestled into the couch. Kuroo chuckled, earning an inquisitive look from Kenma before he started the game. Soon the both of them were so wrapped up in killing aliens and surviving until the next round that they didn't realize how late it was until Kuroo's stomach growled.

"Man I'm hungry," Kuroo announced, setting down his controller as Kenma paused the game. Kenma's lips puckered as he thought of dinner.

"I think I have macaroni and cheese," he offered, climbing out of the oh-so-comfortable couch. He shuffled to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets, pulling out certain objects on his small trek around the island. He set a pot full of water on the stove and set it to boil. After a few minutes, he dumped a bag full of noodles from a box and stirred them in. He drained them, then sprinkled the powdered cheese on top. He mixed it until it was goopy and scraped the pot into two bowls.

"These are the same two bowls as last time," Kuroo remarked as Kenma set said objects on the coffee table, fishing out two napkins to slide underneath them.

"Really? I didn't notice." 

"Oh right, you're colorblind," Kuroo remembered. A thought struck him.

"If you're colorblind, how are you so good at video games? I know that a lot of them rely of color to play."

Kenma shrugged. "I guess I watch the shades of gray. Like the aliens are a darker shade than the humans."

"Huh."

Their attention returned to the increasingly dramatic gameplay and the cheesy noodles in front of them. As Kuroo finished his bowl, he noticed that Kenma had barely touched his. 

"Aren't you gonna eat?" He asked. Kenma tilted his head, then stared at his bowl. "I'm not very hungry," he confessed. 

"Kenma!"

Kenma abruptly looked up at Kuroo's sudden outburst. "What?"

"You need to eat! People get tired and depressed if they don't eat!" He reprimanded. He set down his controller a second time, grabbed the bowl, and all but forced it into Kenma's hands. 

"Actually, the thought of food makes me sick," Kenma admitted. Kuroo shook his head. "Try. Otherwise I won't play this game with you anymore." He could see Kenma contemplating his options. Finally, Kenma picked up his spoon and slowly took a bite. He grimaced at the presence of food and forced himself to swallow.

He looked at Kuroo expectantly. "Well?"

Kuroo exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. Hesitantly, he nodded, touching his controller. The two returned to their game, Kuroo making sure that Kenma ate a few bites in between saves. 

When the clock struck 20:00, Kenma saved the game one last time and shut off the console. Only the blue screen of the tv lit up the room. Kenma yawned.

"You should probably get going," Kenma said.

"Yeah," Kuroo agreed. He didn't move, though.

Without thinking, Kuroo reached out and softly stroked the top of Kenma's head. Kenma froze. 

"You didn't even brush your hair this morning," Kuroo murmured. Kenma bit his lip, bunching his hands in the blanket. He bravely moved his hand to swat away Kuroo's. However, instead of willingly stopping, Kuroo grabbed Kenma's hand. He leaned closer.

"Y―you really should get going," Kenma stammered, his face heating up.

Kuroo didn't respond. With his other hand, he grabbed Kenma's chin and rested his forehead against his. He closed his eyes, his breath hot as he spoke.

"Why is it," he whispered, "that when I'm around you, I seem to lose my mind?" Kenma sucked in a breath. His grip tightened in protest around Kuroo's.

As he moved to speak, his mouth opening slightly to whisper, Kuroo dove in, smashing his lips against Kenma's. Kenma's muffled yell was silenced as Kuroo bit his bottom lip and kissed his chin. Before the kiss went any further, Kuroo abruptly jerked away, realizing his actions. Kenma sat, dumbfounded, his hand still wrapped around Kuroo's wrist. Kuroo whipped his wrist away and stood. He briskly walked to the front door, slid his shoes on, and opened the door before Kenma had time to react.

"Wait―"

"I really must go," he said quickly, "thanks for the food. I really had fun. Good bye."

He disappeared thorough the door, latching it behind him. 

Kenma's unsaid sentence still hung in the air, anticipating. 

Instead, he sighed.

"Goodbye," he whispered to the empty apartment.


	6. Admittance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTICE: Because of school and so much going on in my life right now, it took me forever to actually finish this one chapter, and I haven't updated in a few months. I'm sorry to say that I will be discontinuing this fan fiction until further notice. I might continue it sometime in the winter when I'm less busy, so don't worry too much! Thank you for all your kudos and hits, I really appreciate it! I ended this chapter somewhat peacefully....? So you should be somewhat satisfied!

It was very quiet the next morning. Every time Kenma tried to talk to Kuroo, he somehow dodged the conversation. Like when Kenma didn't quite understand the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa, it was a confused Yachi that was pushed in between Kuroo and Kenma's unasked question. 

"W-well," she stuttered, glancing between the two men, "Hot chocolate is just ground chocolate in hot milk. Hot cocoa is a bunch of different things mixed, like cocoa butter, vanilla, and milk. Basically hot chocolate is rich and hot cocoa is sweet."

Softer, she added, directed to Kenma, "Is something wrong?"

Kenma only shook his head with a muttered thanks and returned to his work.

***

Kenma gave up on trying to contact Kuroo. Halfway through work, on his break, he sat at one of the booths. On the table, the black cat was lounging. Next to it was the yellow calico cat that Kuroo had jokingly said was like cat Kenma.

Kenma watched as cat Kenma licked the black cat's ear. The black cat, in turn, playfully bit the calico's neck. Seeing the banter, Kenma couldn't help but think of what Kuroo did in his apartment. He started blushing profusely.

"Are you okay?" asked a worried voice.

Kenma, startled, jerked his head up, his face still red. It was Yachi, her frowning face just a little too close that Kenma's sudden movement made them bump heads.

"Ack—ouch!" Yachi yelped, rubbing her forehead. "Uh, I'm sorry," she apologized, "I was a little too close and I—"

"It's ok," Kenma interjected. "I just was surprised."

"No, no—" Yachi stopped. She leaned closer, squinting. "You're so not okay. Your face is super red right now." Abruptly, she put a hand on Kenma's forehead. After a moment, she nodded.

"Are you sick?"

Kenma shook his head. "No, I'm just going through something right now."

Yachi grimaced. "Would you be willing to tell me?"

"Uh, no." Kenma replied a little to quickly. Hurt flashed on Yachi's face.

Kenma shook his head again. "Please, I don't feel like talking right now," he lamented, trying for a smile.

Yachi pursed her red lips and nodded briskly, retreating back to her post. Kenma was left alone to his dark thoughts once more, with the exception of kitty cats.

***

The day ended without dismay and everyone returned home. Yachi and Kiyoko continued to ride together, claiming Yachi's home was on the way to Kiyoko's. Kuroo and Kenma took the bus once more, silent. Kenma bit his lip the whole time, enough that he could taste slight blood by the time he reached his stop.

Kuroo, uncharacteristically quiet the entire time, seemed to mentally decide something and face Kenma. Exhaling, he stuttered, "W-well, have a nice day." 

Kenma, furrowed his brows and shook his head, his blonde hair frizzy. "Uh-uh," he protested lamely. 

Confused, Kuroo tilted his head. "W-what do you mean?"

Kenma gulped, planted his foot, and said without preamble, "I'm coming home with you."

His bravery soon withered as seconds ticked by and Kuroo stood speechless. Before he could even protest, the bus started up again, and any chance to refuse was diminished by the chatter of ongoing human life around them. Gathering the few bits of courage he had left, Kenma added meekly,

"I guess you have to let me, now."

Kuroo licked his lips and sighed in defeat. "I guess."

Kenma bounced his head slightly, pleased at the outcome of his situation and quite nervous at what was to come. He had planned out the whole idea during his break at work. He felt a bit happy, which was increasingly unusual, even for him.

Kuroo, on the other hand, was dumbfounded at his situation. Whether he was happy, sad, or mad, he didn't know. He liked the idea of Kenma coming to his apartment, but after what had happened the day before, he couldn't. He blushed as he watched Kenma assure himself.

A half hour later, the bus rolled to a stop, and Kuroo announced their destination. Timidly, he pulled on Kenma's shirt sleeve and led him off the bus, acutely aware of every other being on the bus and feeling as though they were staring at him, which they surely weren't. 

Kenma willingly followed Kuroo, watching the environment around him. To him, the vivid autumn colors were muted gray leaves that fell from the trees and the bright pumpkins decorating some people's front doors were murky white. This dampened his former giddy mood considerably, but he distracted himself by counting the stairs that they took to get to Kuroo's apartment.

Kuroo's apartment, instead of happy pumpkins littering his door, had a poster of a huge black Halloween cat arching it's back around the peephole. He jiggled the keys in the lock for a moment before successfully opening the door.

"Please excuse the mess," he murmured, dropping his bag onto the floor next to his shoes.

Kenma snorted under his breath. Kuroo's mess was the type of cozy mess, one where you could find comfort in, knowing that someone was human like you. Kenma's apartment was the type of mess that signaled that no one was around to bother cleaning up, so the dust just piles and piles.

Kenma timidly perched on the edge of a faux leather couch while Kuroo slammed two mugs of water into the microwave. After a few minutes, he jerked the microwave door open and, very carefully, so as to not spill, he set the mugs on the counter of his kitchen. 

Kenma wondered how someone could be so destructive yet so careful at the same time. 

Kuroo poured two packets of instant coffee into the mugs, grabbed some bags of sweetener, expertly retrieved the creamer from the fridge with his foot, and brought his haul to the coffee table.

"Take as much as you want," he offered, sliding Kenma's mug in front of him. The steaming coffee wasn't very mixed. Kenma bit his lip, fingering the very tips of the sweetener packets before breaking open and dumping them into the black liquid. Kuroo watched him swirl the drink and take a sip before he prepared his own.

"So." He started.

Kenma looked up from a foggy surface to Kuroo's intent gaze. "So?"

"Why did you want to come over?" He finally asked with a sigh. 

Kenma froze, forgetting his original purpose for a moment. Then he melted, looking down shyly, his hair covering half his face.

"I-I wanted to talk about last night's...." He almost choked out the word. "Kiss."

He could feel the heat in his face and hoped that it wasn't as obvious as it felt. He glanced over a Kuroo, who wore the same conflicted expression he had when he'd left Kenma's apartment.

"Look, could we-could we just forget that?" He moaned, running a hand through his hair. The strands stuck up from where his fingers left them. 

Kenma shook his head, almost violently. "Uh-uh. I can't forget it that easily." He tucked a blonde lock behind his ear. 

"What I'd like to ask is..." Kenma tried to stay on point. "Are... Are you gay?"

There it was. The question he'd been thinking about all last night and throughout the day. It couldn't have been just a fluke, a one time deal that was over and done with. Deep down, he hoped that that kiss was genuine, because whenever he tried to brush it off as a joke, it hurt him more than he could bear.

Kuroo didn't answer. 

Kenma swallowed past the pain in his throat. He reiterated, a bit more confident.

"Are you gay?"

Kuroo still didn't answer. Exasperated, Kenma jerked his head up, viciously raking the hair out of his face as he faced Kuroo. "Please tell me!" He gulped. "I-I'm afraid that what you did was just a dare-a-a joke! And to tell you the truth—"

"Yes."

"—What?"

"Yes." Kuroo whispered, almost ashamed, "Yes, I am gay."

Quickly, he searched Kenma's face, suddenly worried. "But, please," he pleaded, "Don't let that ruin our friendship!" He couldn't make out Kenma's expression. "A-at least I thought we had a friendship... Unless I'm wrong...." His voice cracked. "I've had so many relationships ruined because people found out I'm gay..." He covered his face with a hand.

"....that's all?" 

Kuroo's hand lifted. "What?" He asked, breathlessly.

A small laugh echoed in the silence that followed. "I-I thought... I thought you were playing a dirty trick... That you wanted to mess with me...." Kenma admitted, relieved. 

Kuroo frowned. "I'd never hurt you that way," he said, still dumbfounded. A hand nudged Kuroo's thigh. Suddenly, sweetly....

The coffee forgotten, all reason out the window. 

The taste of bittersweet lingering as Kenma pulled away from the tender kiss. He smirked a bit at Kuroo's blank look and red face. 

"W-what did that mean?" He mumbled.

Kenma shrugged. "I guess it means.... I'm gay, too?"

Kuroo laughed, breaking their trance. "You can't really just decide that, just then and there."

Kenma blushed, retaliating with "I guess I just did."

Kuroo shook his head, laughing again. He seemed to be in denial, ruffling his hair nervously. Smiling, he grabbed both of Kenma's hands and pulled him into a hug. Kenma beamed, so much happier than he had ever felt before, strangely in another boy's arms. 

Kuroo released Kenma from his bear hug and showered him with kisses. He kissed his nose, his cheeks, his forehead, and then finally a slow deep kiss on his lips.

For the first time in a long, long while, Kenma could see the first splashes of color: pink and peach and red and orange, the blush of two boys awkwardly falling in love together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least you got to know the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa.  
> And at least Kenma found out what color his face will make if he kisses someone.

**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY IF THIS IS A BIT BORING BUT I SWEAR IT WILL GET BETTER SOON, ITS ONLY THE FIRST CHAPTER


End file.
